This topic introduces the wireless LAN configuration file for Decoders, which is in the Services Config view > Files tab.

wlan-config.xml

One of the files available for editing in the Services Config view > Files tab is wlan-config.xml, the wireless LAN configuration file.

It controls the 802.11 parsers. Its chief purpose is to control decryption of raw 802.11 frames captured by the Decoder. This file is optional. If decryption of 802.11 traffic is not desired, there is no need to create the file.

There are five link-level parsers related to wireless LAN packet capture:

IEEE 802.11 parser (data frames and beacons only)

Radiotap w/ 802.11 header

Absolute Value Systems (AVS) w/ 802.11 header

Prism II w/ 802.11 header

CACEʹs ʺPer Packet Informationʺ (PPI) w/ 802.11 header

The 802.11 wireless parsers introduced in 9.8 all share a single configuration file. This wlan‐config.xml file is used to define any wireless access points the user may have in the network, and its primary purpose is to control decryption. The BSSID of the access point and the SSID that itʹs authoritative for is added to this file as well as all of the active default keys used by the access point.

A comprehensive discussion is provided in the chapter on Wireless Packet Capture in the NextGen System Administrator Guide.